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Tag: NSA

  • ISWAP: NSA confirms killing of Abu Musab’s successor, Malam Bako

    ISWAP: NSA confirms killing of Abu Musab’s successor, Malam Bako

    The National Security Adviser to the President, Maj. Gen. Babagana Mongonu (rtd) has announced the killing of Malam Bako, the successor of Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, the leader of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).

    Mongonu revealed this when he addressed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of security chiefs, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.

    Recall that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor had on Oct. 14 confirmed the dead of Abu Musab.

    Irabor said: “I can authoritatively confirm to you that Abu Musab is dead. He is dead and remains dead.’’

    However, Mongonu disclosed that Abu Musab’s successor, Malam Bako was also neutralized along with a prominent member of the ISWAP.

    He said: “The fact again is that the armed forces, the land forces have done an excellent job because in the span of one month we have been able to take out the leadership of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) – that is Abu Musab Al-barnawi.

    “Two days ago, the man who succeeded him, one Malam Bako, one of the prominent leaders of the Shura Council of the Islamic State of West African Province, was also taken out.

    “They are also contending with leadership crisis. You know these things are also accompanied with inherent issues of trust, conflicts, mutual suspicion and other things.

    “So, the operations being conducted by the armed forces in the Northern parts of the country put a lot of pressure on the Islamic State of West African Province, Boko Haram and also the tangential group known as Islamic State in the Greatest Sahara.’’

    On the forthcoming Nov. 6 Anambra gubernatorial election, the NSA said President Buhari enjoined the security agencies to stamp their feet of authority and ensure the success of the election.

    Monguno said the president was reacting to the heightened security challenges in Anambra, orchestrated by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

    “The President has directed that under no circumstances will anything be allowed to stop the elections from taking place successfully. The people have a right to vote and select their leader.

    “No group or individual will be allowed to stimulate anarchy and chaos, leading to murderous activities.

    “The President has made it very clear that the Armed Forces and all law enforcement agencies must make sure that the elections take place even if it means overwhelming the entire environment with the presence of security personnel”, he said.

    He added: “There are so many implications for elections to be sabotaged by non-state actors.

    “In the first place, we are in a democracy, secondly it is important to note that if these non-state actors should succeed in destroying the potentials for orderly elections, then it is natural that other parts of the country would also want to copy this same situation.’’

  • Looted funds: Reps grill NSA, IGP; invites Presidential Committee chair on arms, ammunition

    Looted funds: Reps grill NSA, IGP; invites Presidential Committee chair on arms, ammunition

    The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the recovery and management of looted funds and assets by agencies of the federal government on Tuesday grilled the Office of the National Security Adviser ONSA and the Office of the Inspector-General of Police IGP on the amount of funds so far recovered.

    The panel also resolved to invite chairman presidential committee on arms and ammunition funds recovery.

    Chairman of the House panel Hon Adejoro Adeogun and other committee members took their turns to bombard questions to the representatives of both the NSA and the IGP when they resolved to take them as the two top security managers asked to be excused based on exigent national security assignments.

    The Ad-hoc Committee had on Monday June 7, 2021 summoned the NSA, IGP, NIMASA DG and other heads of MDAs to appear on Thursday 10th June unfailingly having failed to turn up to an investigative hearing on the matter on that date.

    However, at the rescheduled hearing, the committee helmsman said both the IGP and NSA had written to the committee explaining why they couldn’t come on the date they were summoned as they were part of the President’s entourage to Lagos where he commissioned a railway project on the same date.

    Moreover, the Director of Finance and Administration of the Office of National Security Adiviser Brig-Gen Jafaru Mohammed (rtd) who represented the NSA Major-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd) also said that the NSA would have loved to honour the committee invitation but he had traveled out of the country.

    When the Ad-hoc Committee chairman set the ball rolling asking the DFA how much has the the Office of National Security Adviser recovered or received in totality in terms of looted funds and assets, he said that the NSA office does not get directly partake in any recovery

    He however admitted that the agency only get involved in recovery of any stolen funds or asset when there is a presidential directive to that effect which is unusual but comes up once in a while.

    When asked to admit the memorandum of the NSA that no recovery was made by the office in looted funds and assets, he stated that there was a time the President constituted a committee to investigate arms and ammunition purchase and the committee operated without interference from the office of the NSA.

    But the Committee Chairman insisted that the arms and ammunition committee in question was directly supervised by the NSA’s office adding that there were a lot of bank accounts open by the office that had many inflows and withdrawals by the office.

    The DFA however denied the existence of many of such bank accounts saying that the NSA’s office only operates two accounts viz: a domiciliary dollar account and Naira account with the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN.

    He further said that the only recovery was only the sum of $7,436 million that was recovered by the agency and deposited to the CBN account.

    Other committee members notably Hon. Sada Soli also said that N712 million was paid into the recovery account of the CBN in August 2017 by the agency even as the committee chairman said he is lying on oath.

    Also in a presentation to the probe panel, a Deputy Inspector-General of the Police Joseph Egbuniwe who represented the IGP Usman Alkali Baba said that there were about N114 million lodgement of recovered funds done by the agency into a CBN recovery account.

    He further said that there was another $30 million recovered, N214 million recovered from twenty three election fraudsters from Rivers State that was paid into the same account.

    Fielding questions from lawmakers on whether there were other recoveries, he said that there were also eighty three tankers and seven marine vessels were also recovered.

  • Reps summon CBN Gov, NSA, IGP, others over recovered loots

    Reps summon CBN Gov, NSA, IGP, others over recovered loots

    By Emman Ovuakporie
    The House of Representatives on Monday summoned the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali to appear before its ad-hoc Committee on assessment and status of all recovered loots, movable and immovable assets for effective utilisation and management from 2002-2021 on or before Thursday or face the wrath of the law.
    Also to appear before the ad-hoc committee are the National Security Adviser(NSA) Babagana Monguno and the Director General of the Nigeria Maritime and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh.
    The resolution was adopted on Monday by the House ad-hoc committee investigating the assessment and status of all recovered loots, Movable and Immovable Assets for Effective Utilization and Management from 2002-2021 following the absence of these agencies at its investigative hearing.
    According to the chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Mr. Adejoro Adeogun, CBN, NSA, IGP and DG, NIMASA have between now and Thursday to appear before the House Committee or the national assembly will invoke its power according to the constitution to deal with them.
    Earlier at the hearing, roll calls on the expected stakeholders for the day had been read by Mr. Adeogun. The committee observed that most of the stakeholders aside the office of the Accountant General of the Federation who were present only sent in their representatives without a formal letter; a situation the committee frowned at.
    Reacting to the absence of these stakeholders at the hearing, a member of the committee, Mr. Isiaka Ibrahim (APC, Ogun) said if stakeholders fail to appear before the national assembly’s committee then the national assembly should be shot down.
    His words: “My chairman, I’m worried in the sense that the agencies of government that are the products of the national assembly through the laws that we created them and they are flaunting the process that established them. So I’m worried when they are invited and the national assembly is taken for granted on things like this. It calls for serious concern.
    “If it amount to raising it on the floor of the House, we should shot down the national assembly and the agencies of government. If they are not going to respect us by our invitation then there is no need to be here. If we are to be tied not to perform our function then we don’t need to be here”,Ibrahim said.
    The committee adopted the resolution by its chairman following further supports by members.
    The Adeogun chaired ad-hoc committee last week suspended its investigative hearing to enable members participate in the constitution amendment hearing held across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
  • NSA disowns, orders immediate shutdown of NATFORCE, other illegal security outfits nationwide

    NSA disowns, orders immediate shutdown of NATFORCE, other illegal security outfits nationwide

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.), has ordered the immediate shutdown of illegal security outfits across the country.

    He warned against the use of such outfits to harass, intimidate and extort Nigerians.

    A statement by Head of Strategic Communication in the Office of the NSA, Z. M. Usman, reads: “The Office of the National Security Adviser has directed the immediate dismantling of all illegal security outfits and warned against the use of these outfits to extort, harass and intimidate Nigerians.

    “In particular, the office has cautioned individuals, organisations and foreign partners on the activities of NATFORCE, which was illegally formed as a task force to combat illegal importation and smuggling of small arms, ammunitions and light weapons into Nigeria.

    “The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), domiciled in the Office of the NSA, is the national co-ordination mechanism for the control and monitoring of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria. The Office of the NSA has observed with concern the proliferation of illegal security outfits in the country.

    “These illegal outfits have been masquerading and acting as part of the Nigerian security architecture while extorting, harassing and intimidating Nigerians. One of such groups is NATFORCE, which seeks to combat illegal importation of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons and Pipeline Vandalism and has been involved in mounting of illegal roadblocks, conducting illegal searches, seizures and recruitment.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the general public and all stakeholders are to note that NATFORCE is an illegal outfit without any mandate or authority to carry out these functions. This trend is unacceptable and the promoters of NATFORCE are warned to dismantle their structures and operations immediately.”

    The statement added: “Following the setting up of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons on May 3, 2021, Nigeria has initiated the process for the full implementation of Article 24 of the ECOWAS Convention on small arms and light weapons.

    “In this regard, national and international stakeholders are encouraged and expected to work closely with the centre to strengthen government-civil society initiatives.”

  • Insecurity: We will not relent until peace is restored in Nigeria- NSA

    Insecurity: We will not relent until peace is restored in Nigeria- NSA

    Amid the security challenges across the country, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno has said that the Federal Government will not relent until peace is restored.

    The NSA gave the assurance on Friday via a statement after a security meeting convened by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja, reiterating the current administration’s commitment in fixing tackling the various security threats.

    “There shall be no relenting until peace and security is significantly restored in our communities,” Monguno, a retired Major-General said.

    “Mr. President is very prepared to take profound measures in the wider interest of the people and the Nigerian nation.”

    Monguno explained that the security meeting is necessitated by the fact that President Buhari is “concerned about the persisting security challenges in parts of the country.”

    According to him, the Commander-in-Chief is ever ready to frontally confront the situation in the country.

    To the NSA, President Buhari “made it abundantly clear that while the insurgents, bandits and criminals are still at it, he has no doubt that the Nigerian Security agencies and all of us as a nation will certainly overcome all the current security problems and defeat the forces of evil marauding about in different parts of the country.”

    “While the criminals continue to test the will of the Nigerian government, the President and the Council which adjourned today’s critical meeting until Tuesday morning to receive further briefings from the Security Chiefs, are set and determined to decisively end the assault on the nation and will do all that it takes,” he added.

  • Buhari’s NSA makes U-Turn, denies saying arms procurement funds released to ex-service chiefs missing

    Buhari’s NSA makes U-Turn, denies saying arms procurement funds released to ex-service chiefs missing

    The Office of the National Security Adviser on Friday denied that funds for arms procurement have gone missing under the former Service Chiefs.

    The BBC’s Hausa Service had earlier reported that the NSA, Major-General Babagana Monguno, hinted at the missing funds during an interview.

    “No one knows what happened to the money, but by God’s grace, the president will investigate to find out where it went or where the goods went,” the General reportedly said in Hausa.

    But the ONSA said his comments had been quoted out of context “as he did not categorically say that funds meant for arms procurement were missing under the Former Service Chiefs as reported or transcribed by some media outlets from the BBC interview.”

    Instead, the ONSA statement said, Monguno had “only reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to deal decisively with insecurity and stated President Muhammadu Buhari’s continued commitment to provide all necessary support to the Armed Forces, including the provision of arms and equipment.”

    The statement stressed that the NSA had “clearly informed the BBC reporter that Mr President has provided enormous resources for arms procurement, but the orders were either inadequate or yet to be delivered and that did not imply that the funds were misappropriated under the former Service Chiefs.

    “The NSA also informed the reporter that, Mr President is following up on the procurement process as is usual with contracts relating to military equipments, in most cases the process involves manufacturing, due diligence and tedious negotiations that may change delivery dates.”

    Nigeria has been ravaged with a number of security problems, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry across the North-West and ethnic tensions in the South.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the nation’s newly appointed security chiefs to effect radical changes within six weeks.

  • Insecurity: Accepting to dialogue with bandits sign of weakness, incapacitation – FG

    Insecurity: Accepting to dialogue with bandits sign of weakness, incapacitation – FG

    The Federal Government on Thursday said engaging bandits in dialogue will portray the government as weak and incapacitated.

    The government said rather than dialogue, it will apply its full weight to deal with the criminals and will not be blackmailed by any group of people into negotiating with those who threaten the nation’s peace.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that this was revealed by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno on Thursday at a State House briefing in Aso Villa, Abuja.

    He argued that dialoguing with insurgents paints the government as weak and incapable.

    “The government is tackling the problem of insecurity, we’ve said this many times that there are two phases in solving this problem –the soft approach: talking, negotiating, and so on and so forth.

    “While the government is not averse to talking to these entities, these human beings, I have to be very honest, the government has to apply its weight, that force that is required because you can’t even talk with people who are unreliable people, who will turn out to do a different thing and people who will continue to hurt society.

    “So, basically, what the government wants to rely upon is to deal with this issue by using all the assets – military assets, intelligence assets to eliminate these people,” the NSA said.

    He added that “If along the line, some of them are ready to come out and talk and negotiate, when the time comes, we will do that but for now, we can’t keep on dwelling on ‘Let’s dialogue’.

    “Psychologically, it is not even good for us, it paints the picture of weakness, it paints the picture of incapacity and I, just like the governor of Kaduna State said, do not see any reason why we cannot, with what we have, deal with these elements.

    “These are not people who are looking for anything that is genuine (or) legitimate; these are people who are just out to perform atrocities, to take calculated measures to inflict pain, violence on people.

    “At the slightest opportunity, they go haywire. And so, it is important for us to realize that we are dealing with people who are not looking for anything, people who without provocation will give birth to their homicidal instincts. We must deal with them the way they have to be dealt with.”

    Monguno said further that Nigeria is faced with a new type of (asymmetrical) war, adding that issues of a gross deficiency in equipment and lack of personnel have played a part in the way things are at the moment.

    He, however, believes that the change of security chiefs brings a ray of hope and will help fix all lapses that may exist.

  • [Exclusive] Tramadol: NSA raises alarm over name change to Tafrodol

    [Exclusive] Tramadol: NSA raises alarm over name change to Tafrodol

    …notifies Customs
    …says manufacturers discreetly change name

    …to beat prying eyes of security agencies

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (Retd) has raised alarm that manufacturers of Tramadol have discreetly changed its original name of Tramadol to Trafrodol.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) in a letter exclusively obtained reports the ugly development was contained in a letter dated October 30, addressed to the Comptroller of Customs to be at alert.

    In the letter signed by the NSA, entitled : ‘Suspected Name Change of Tramadol’, the NSA said “Intelligence at the disposal of the Office of the National Security Adviser revealed that manufacturers of Tramadol tablets have discreetly started changing the brand name of TRAMADOL to TAFRODOL to evade detection by officials of the relevant Nigeria security agencies.

    Recall that Tramadol was banned by the Federal Government due to its massive abuse by youths to get to ‘cloud 7” and it has serious side effects.

    Read full letter below:

    OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER

    The Comptroller General
    Nigeria Customs Service
    National Headquarter
    Wuse Zone 3
    ABUJA

    30th October 2020

    Dear Sir,

    SUSPECTED CHANGE OF NAME OF TRAMADOL

    Intelligence at the disposal of the Office of the National Security Adviser revealed that manufacturers of Tramadol tablets have discreetly started changing the brand name of TRAMADOL to TAFRODOL to evade detection by officials of the relevant Nigeria security agencies.

    2 In view of the above, the NCS may wish to alert its officials at Nigeria’s points of entry to watch out for this brand of drug coming into the country In this regard you are requested to circulate this information to all the Customs formation and physical examination baser) for the detection and detention of such suspected drugs and the ONSA be notified accordingly.

    3 While thanking you for your continued cooperation, please accept Sir, the assurances of my highest esteem and best regards as always.

    BABAGANA MONGUNO
    Major General (rtd)
    National Security Adviser

  • #EndSARS: Buhari coming up with certain solutions in few hours- NSA

    #EndSARS: Buhari coming up with certain solutions in few hours- NSA

    The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.), on Thursday stated that the President, Muhammadu Buhari , would come up with solutions to the current crisis erupting in parts of the country “in the next couple of hours.”

    Although he did not reveal the nature of the solutions, he said they would be delightful to all parties concerned.

    Monguno revealed this in an interview with State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the National Security Council presided over by the President.

    He said, “The President himself, I have just left his office, is also going to deal with these issues in a specific manner apart from what has just taken place in council.

    “I believe in the next couple of hours, Mr President will come up with certain solutions that will be agreeable to the entire federation.”

    In addition, the NSA also did not reveal whether the President will announce the solutions through a national telecast.

    Details later….

     

  • Dasuki speaks at last, confesses: ‘I told Jonathan of my relationship with Buhari, Tinubu before accepting NSA appointment’

    Dasuki speaks at last, confesses: ‘I told Jonathan of my relationship with Buhari, Tinubu before accepting NSA appointment’

    Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has denied campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 Presidential Election.

    He said on Sunday that he never worked at cross-purposes with former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Col Dasuki said he was only involved in an attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) before the 2011 elections.

    In a statement he personally signed in Abuja, the former NSA said the clarifications became necessary to “put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination”

    The statement reads: “My attention has been drawn to a false report to the effect that I discreetly campaigned for President Muhammadu Buhari and his party APC while I was serving as President Goodluck Jonathan’s National Security Adviser.

    “At first, I found the report too ridiculous to take serious but on a second thought, I felt it would be appropriate not only to debunk it but to put the records straight especially in view of politics of mischief and character assassination that are unfortunately the norms today.

    “The truth is that I was involved in an attempt at forging an alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) among others prior to 2011 elections which was not successful. My involvement in that political process ended after the elections of 2011.”

    Dasuki said he made full disclosures on his relationships with Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu to ex-President Jonathan before accepting the offer of NSA.

    He added: “At the point of accepting the appointment to serve as National Security Adviser (NSA in 2012, I made it clear to President Jonathan that I had relationships with General Muhammadu Buhari of CPC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of ACN and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu of ANPP among other opposition elements and that my appointment would not cause me to sever the relationship.

    “I, however, assured him that I would never betray him. As a man of honour, I kept to my words.

    “Therefore, as NSA between 2012 and 2015, I never campaigned for APC nor its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in whatever shape or form before, during or after the 2015 presidential election.

    “I never worked at cross-purposes with my boss, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan as being recklessly insinuated by mischief makers on their blogs and social media.”